The Big Deal About Green Chemistry

The many shades of green are hardly exclusive to the art world. For Dwight Tshudy, associate professor of chemistry, the path to becoming green has involved many steps, including inspiration, research and outreach. Tshudy explored each in his October 25 talk entitled, “Green Chemistry and Sustainability, What’s All This Then?” which he gave as the fall lecture for the North Shore Chapter of Sigma Xi. His talk reflected just a few of the many things happening in green chemistry at Gordon. Below is the abstract for Tshudy‘s lecture:

Dwight Tshudy

“The term ‘green’ has been used by many as a synonym for ‘good for the environment.’ Green chemistry has also been touted for a number of years as a new and better way of doing chemistry. Sustainability has now become a buzzword to cover a multitude of activities, and its use has become fashionable in many circles. But what is the connection between ‘green’ and sustainability? How might it make a difference that would really matter to us? These are big questions that should be discussed, debated, disagreed with and modified as we learn more of the world around us.

Sustainability and green chemistry are not black and white ideas, but ones that come with many shades and variations. There will be successes and also opportunities, both for green chemistry and sustainability. Ultimately we must act on the best of these ideas. At Gordon, we are exploring how TAML (tetra-amido-macrocyclic-ligand) catalysts can be used for chemical synthesis and degradation. These catalysts were developed by Terry Collins at the Institute for Green Science (at Carnegie Melon University) using biomimetic principles to try to mimic what naturally occurring enzymes are able to accomplish. Chemical approaches using catalytic reactions like these fall under the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry. Our understanding of sustainability and green chemistry can guide what takes place in the classroom, in the teaching laboratory, in the research laboratory, and beyond.”

Subscribe by Email

Where in the World is Gordon’s Faculty?

JUNE 2014
Bert Hodges, professor of psychology, received a National Science Foundation grant to host a conference entitled, "Finding Common Ground: Social, Ecological, and Cognitive Perspectives on Language Use," at the University of Connecticut June 11-14.
. . .

MAY 2014
Moises Park, associate professor of Spanish, will present a workshop on "Undergraduate Teaching in Latin American Cinema” at the Latin American Studies Association Congress in Chicago, May 21-24.
. . .

APRIL 2014
Jim Trent, professor of sociology, will present a paper, “’Vulgar Appearing Little Bodies’: Samuel G. Howe and American Missionaries in Greece, 1827-1830” during a session, “Missionaries and Native Agents Crossing Linguistic and Cultural Borders,” at the Organization of American Historians’ annual meeting in Atlanta, April 12.
. . .

Pilar Pérez, associate professor of Spanish, will present her paper, “Mediocridad y fantasía: jugando a ser alguien en tres obras de Juan Pablo Heras” at the North East Modern Language Association conference in Harrisburg, PA, April 4-6.
. . .

MARCH 2014
Emmanuelle Vanborre, associate professor of French, will present at the Northeast Conference on the teaching of Foreign Languages in Boston on March 29.
. . .
Paul Brink, associate professor of political science, will be on a panel discussion in Washington, DC, for the Constitution Project, March 27.
. . .
Education professors Priscilla Nelson & Todd Morano co-present on "STEM2: Partnering to Advance STEM Education in Elementary Schools, Higher Education, and Private Industry" for the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education (AILACTE) in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 2.
______________________________________FEBRUARY 2014
Moises Park, assistant professor of Spanish, will present his paper, "Revisiting the Art of Walking: Holden Caulfield Walking Around Santiago, Chile, 1980", at the 28th Biennial Louisiana Conference on Hispanic Languages and Literatures in Baton Rouge, LA, Feb. 27-March 1.
. . .
Elaine Phillips, professor of biblical studies, will release her new book, "With God, Nothing is Impossible," Feb. 20.
. . .
Andrew Logemann, associate professor of English and director of the first year seminar, Leasa Lutes, professor of Spanish, Justin Topp, associate professor of biology, and Jennifer Brink, director of advising and first year experience, will attend the annual conference of the National Resource Center for the First Year Experience, in San Diego, CA, Feb. 15-18.
. . .
Ivy George, professor of sociology, presented a paper with Janie Victoria Ward entitled, "Wrestling with Unintended Difference: White Mothers, Chinese Daughters and their Racial Realities," at Columbia University's Winter Roundtable Conference in New York, "From Seneca Falls to Selma to Stonewall to Wall Street," Feb. 14-15.
- - -
Ivy George, professor of sociology, participated in the Conference on Justice hosted by the Association For a More Just Society in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Feb. 6-10.
______________________________________JANUARY 2014
Stephen Smith, professor of economics, is an invited speaker at Houghton College, addressing the campus on "Does God Care About Wealth?" and "Is Economic Growth Moral?" Buffalo, NY, Jan. 28-30.
. . .
James Trent, professor of social work, will speak at the Smith College Museum of Art in Northampton, Mass, for a two-day cross-disciplinary colloquium entitled “Excavating the Image.” Trent will speak on a painting in the museum’s collection, “The Belchertown State School” by the artist Randall Deihl, Jan. 9.
. . .
David Wick, professor of history, is on a team coordinating the Annual International Conference on Humanities & Arts in a Global World in Athens, Greece, Jan. 3-6.
. . .
Stephen Smith, professor of economics, attends the Allied Social Science Associations annual meetings in Philadelphia, PA, Jan. 3-5.
. . .
James Trent, professor of social work, will be chairing a session at the American Historical Association, Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., entitled: “Rehabilitating the Fin de Siècle: Masculinity and Disability in Comparative Perspective,” Jan. 3.
______________________________________NOVEMBER 2013
Roger Green, professor of biblical studies, Steve Hunt, professor of biblical studies, Daniel Darko, associate professor of biblical studies, and Ute Possekel, adjunct professor of history, attend the American Academy of Religion conference in Baltimore, MD. Darko will preside over a session on Identity Formation in the Pauline Letters; Possekel presents her paper "The Gospel of Mark in Syriac Christianity"; Hunt will release his new book on the Gospel of John. Nov. 23-26.
. . .
Chad Stutz, assistant professor of English, will present his paper "More modern than modernists’: Progressive Antimodernism in the Apocalyptic Fiction of Robert Hugh Benson" at the Victorian Interdisciplinary Studies Association of the Western United States in Portland, OR, Nov. 14-16.
______________________________________OCTOBER 2013
Mark Cannister, professor of Christian ministries, and Bob Whittet, associate professor of Christian Ministries and director of church relations, will attend the Association of Youth Ministry Educators conference in Chicago, IL, Oct. 18-21.
. . .
Kent Seibert and Andy Moore, professor and associate professor of economics and business, attend the annual meeting of the Christian Business Faculty Association in Bourbonnais, IL, Oct. 17-19.
. . .
Bruce Herman, professor of art and Lothlorien Distinguished Chair in Fine Arts, will be speaking at the International Arts Movement conference in New York City, "Inhabit Art in Space and Time, Oct. 3-5.
______________________________________AUGUST 2013
Stephen Smith, professor of economics, visits the Millennium Challenge Corporation consultation on how his research can assist their evaluation of the impact of roads on economic development. Washington, D.C., Aug. 28-29.
. . .
Jennifer Hevelone-Harper, professor of history, will give a lecture entitled, "What was the Role of Monastic Communities?" at the Free Lecture Series of the Green Scholars Initiative in Colorado Springs, CO, Aug. 20.
. . .
David Wick, professor of history, attends the Athens Institute for Education and Research conference and presents his paper "Julius Caesar as Jekyll and Hyde: An Exploratory Look at the Moments after the Rubicon." Athens, Jul. 29-Aug. 1.
. . .
Norman Jones, professor of theatre arts, will lead a trip of Gordon students to Great Britain August 2-17 to attend the largest theatre festival in the world.
______________________________________JULY 2013
David Lee, department chair of 3-2 engineering department and professor of physics, will serve as President and CTO of Glassimetal Technology Inc., a startup focused on commercializing novel amorphous metal alloys and processing techniques. Lee is working at Glassimetal in Pasadena, CA, until July 2013.
. . .
Mosies Park, assistant professor of Spanish, will present the paper, "La doctrina (Marilyn) Monroe y la mirada del soldado colombiano en Mambrú de R.H. Moreno-Durán" at the Colombianist Association Conference in Weston, MA, July 10-13.
. . .
James Zingarelli, professor of visual arts, will teach at the Salzburg Summer Institute, July 8-August 12.
_______________________________________JUNE 2013
David Aiken, professor of philosophy, will lead workshops on Bernard Lonergan's important work Insight, at the annual Lonergan Workshop. He will present and lead discussion on topics of interest to participants. Boston College, June 17-21.
. . .
Sybil Coleman, professor of social work, will attend the annual conference of the National Association of Social Workers, on "Building Resilience: Weaving Policy and Practice," in St. Paul, MN, June 6-7.
. . .
Elaine Phillips, professor of biblical studies, will present her paper “'The Prayer of the Upright': Confession, Accusation, and Intercession in Wisdom Literature Prayers” at the Christian Scholars' Conference in Nashville, TN, June 6-8.
. . .
James Zingarelli, professor of visual arts, will teach a carving and marble class in Vermont, June 17-21.
. . .
Suzanne Phillips, professor of psychology, attends the Society for Community Research and Action biennial meeting. She is organizing a poster session on experiential learning, facilitating a meeting on a proposal that is before the American Psychological Association, to promote self-help and mutual support groups, and chairing a roundtable discussion on the use of geographic information systems in community psychology research. Miami, FL, June 26-29.
_______________________________________MAY 2013
Stephen Smith, professor of economics and business, will lead Gordon's China Seminar, traveling with students to meet business leaders in Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, May 24-June 11.
. . .
Mosies Park, assistant professor of Spanish, will present his paper, "Re Orienting Latin American Liberation Theology" at the LASA (Latin American Studies Association) Conference in Washington, D.C., May 29-June 1, 2013 .
. . .
Roger Green, professor and chair of biblical studies and Christian ministries, will lead Gordon College's 17th Holy Land Pilgrimage to Israel May 26-June 7.
. . .
Tal Howard, professor of history, will give a presentation at Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study workshop on "Comparative Secularization in Europe and North America: New Directions" in Cambridge, MA, May 3-5.
_______________________________________APRIL 2013
Irv Levy, professor of chemistry and computer science, travels to New Orleans with students and faculty to the American Chemical Society national meeting, serving as organizer of the program for chemical education that includes 1,600 presentations over a five day period, beginning April 8.
. . .
Ruth Melkonian-Hoover, associate professor of political science, will present her paper "Drivers of White Evangelical Opinion on Comprehensive Immigration Reform" and chair a session entitled "Immigration, Ingroup, and Outgroup Attitudes" at the Midwest Political Science Association conference in Chicago, IL, April 11-14.
. . .
Tal Howard, professor of history, presents a keynote lecture, entitled "Theological Roots of the Secular University", at the Religion and the Idea of the Research University conference in Cambridge, UK, April 3-5.